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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24933544">From Eden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Backroad_To_Hell/pseuds/Backroad_To_Hell'>Backroad_To_Hell</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Learning to trust, M/M, No one knows how to cope with their feelings, Post-Episode: s03e14-15 The Boiling Rock, Pre-Relationship, The Gaang - Freeform, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), Trust Issues, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), zukka if you squint</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:42:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24933544</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Backroad_To_Hell/pseuds/Backroad_To_Hell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>---<br/>“Hey, how did you get this scar anyways?”<br/>---</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2329</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Zukka (ATLA), avatar tingz</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Idealism Sits in Prison</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So this is just a little thing that popped into my head after watching ATLA. </p><p>I didn't intend for this to be Zuko/Sokka at fist but I have no self control so,,,</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Everyone have their disguises?” Katara asked, pulling on her gold fire nation arm bands.</p><p><br/>
“Yep!” Aang called as he slid his headband down over his tattoo.</p><p><br/>
Zuko looked around. Everyone else was changing into their variations of red and black fire nation commoner clothing. Then he looked down at himself, already dressed appropriately for a day in the markets. Before he left the palace he had thought to grab a more simple outfit in case he needed to blend in. “I guess I’m already all set,” he said with a shrug.</p><p><br/>
Katara winced. “Sorry Zuko, but isn’t your scar too recognizable? We’ll have to find a way to cover your face.”</p><p><br/>
Zuko groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He guessed it made sense, especially this close to fire nation territory, that people would be more likely to see his scar and know exactly who he was and how he got it.</p><p><br/>
“Doesn’t Sokka still have some of that makeup?” Aang asked from where he was saddling Appa for the short flight to the village.</p><p><br/>
Sokka looked up, instantly getting defensive. “It’s war paint, and yes I still have some. It’s in my tent.” Sokka started to walk over to the tents, then paused when Zuko didn’t follow at first. “You coming?” he asked.</p><p><br/>
Zuko nodded and followed him.</p><p> </p><p>When they got inside the tent Sokka dug through his bag and pulled out a few small containers with different colors of paint in them.<br/>

“Sit,” Sokka instructed, gesturing to a cushion across from him.</p><p><br/>
Zuko sat with his legs crossed, watching Sokka carefully. Since their time together at Boiling Rock, Zuko felt much more comfortable being alone with Sokka than anyone else in their little group, but that wasn’t saying much. This was still very much an awkward situation for Zuko.</p><p><br/>
Sokka dipped his fingers in the paint and got up on his knees, leaning in close to Zuko, close enough for him to see the flecks of gold in his blue eyes and feel his breath hot on his cheek. “Close your eyes,” he said, pausing with his finger inches away from Zuko’s face.</p><p><br/>
The paint was cold on his face and Zuko jumped involuntarily. Sokka steadied him with a firm hand on his shoulder, laughing softly. “Sorry,” he chuckled, “I should’ve warned you.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s alright,” Zuko said, forcing himself to relax. <em>It’s just Sokka,</em> he reminded himself,<em> Why am I so jumpy?</em></p><p><br/>
Sokka got back to work, being decidedly more gentle this time. Occasionally he’d whisper a warning when he moved to a new area, as Zuko had to keep his eyes closed so he didn't get any of the paint in them.</p><p><br/>
Zuko would never admit how good this felt. He’d never liked being touched before, but there was something about the way that Sokka’s fingers moved over his skin that made Zuko’s whole body tingle with pleasure. It was undeniably intimate, more so than anything he had ever done with Mai. He and Mai had never really been the touchy types.</p><p><br/>
Now Zuko wondered why he was usually so strongly against being touched when he so clearly enjoyed it. He thought back, remembering his relationship with touch in the past. When he was younger, growing up in the palace, he was rarely touched. The only ones who would dare get that close to the prince were his mother and his sister, and touch never came kindly from Azula. The only physical comfort he found came from his mother, and then she was gone.</p><p><br/>
No one could ever compare to his mother. She was everything he needed in his otherwise harsh childhood: comfort, peace, someone to tell him that he was enough as he was. The only person who ever came close to that again was Iroh, and Zuko had betrayed him.<br/>
So no, Zuko didn’t have anyone who he could be this close to now, who he could trust like this.</p><p><br/>
Except for Sokka, apparently.</p><p><br/>
“Hey, I’m gonna do the scar now,” Sokka said, pulling Zuko from his thoughts.</p><p><br/>
Zuko opened his eyes. He watched Sokka, who was sitting there on his knees and staring back, clearly waiting for some kind of permission. He could feel the paint drying on the unscarred side of his face. Zuko wasn’t sure exactly what it was that he was looking for in Sokka, but somehow he must have found it in those clear blue eyes, since his racing heart began to slow and his tense shoulders relaxed.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” he said softly, closing his eyes again.</p><p><br/>
Zuko still jumped when he felt Sokka’s fingertips on the edge of his scar. He could feel all of his defenses going up again just at the idea of someone looking so closely at it, let alone touching it. It took all of his strength not to bat Sokka’s hand away and run.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, how did you get this scar anyways?”</p><p><br/>
“None of your business,” Zuko hissed, pulling away a little.</p><p><br/>
Sokka threw up his hands in surrender, laughing uncomfortably. “Woah, it’s alright, buddy. I didn’t mean anything by it.”</p><p><br/>
Zuko supposed he felt bad for snapping at Sokka like that. He had every right to be curious about it. But Zuko didn’t want him to find out how he got the scar; what the Firelord had done to him.</p><p><br/>
Zuko liked to pretend that joining the Avatar’s group gave him this sort of fresh start. He liked to think that these people didn’t care about his past; about what he’s done or where he’s been. The scar was just another reminder of his shame, and he didn’t really want to let Sokka into that part of his life. He would rather the one person who he thought he might trust stay blissfully unaware of how badly Zuko had messed up in the past.</p><p><br/>
Sokka kept working in tense silence. Zuko found he could no longer enjoy the feeling of being touched when he was so hyper aware of every pass of Sokka’s fingers over the rough skin. He was sure Sokka found it disgusting-found him disgusting.</p><p><br/>
“Are you done yet?” Zuko asked when Sokka seemed to just be making finishing touches.</p><p><br/>
“Yeah,” Sokka said, screwing the lid back on the paint containers, “You’re good now.”</p><p><br/>
Zuko stood and went to leave the tent. He stopped himself with his hand on the flap, glancing back over his shoulder. “Um… thanks,” he grumbled. Then he left.</p><p><br/>
---</p><p><br/>
Sokka sat back on his heels, smiling slightly. Zuko hadn’t been with them for long, but already he was making so many little improvements day by day. “You’re welcome buddy,” he said to the empty tent.</p><p><br/>
Sokka busied himself with tucking the paint back into his bag, a frown pulling at his lips. He felt bad for asking Zuko that question; for breaking his trust.</p><p><br/>
He knew in the back of his mind that he was prying too much when he had done it, but Zuko had just seemed so relaxed, more relaxed than he had ever seen the prince. Sokka had thought…He had thought that maybe the two had something special. Maybe they had some kind of bond after Boiling Rock that caused Zuko to trust him. It was enough for Sokka to be able to touch him without too much resistance. It was not enough to get Zuko to talk about his scar.</p><p><br/>
Sokka should’ve seen it coming. Zuko had always been overly sensitive about the scar. He turned icy every time it was mentioned, and sometimes Sokka could see him tracing it with his fingertips when he was deep in thought.</p><p><br/>
It made sense that Zuko wouldn’t want to talk about it. An injury that severe must have come from a pretty traumatic experience. That, and the scar was in such an exposed place. There was probably no escape from stares and snide comments about it, even from total strangers.</p><p><br/>
So yes, Sokka understood why Zuko wouldn’t want to talk about his injury. That didn’t make the rejection sting any less. He just wanted Zuko to be able to trust him. The guy needed to loosen up, and Sokka figured that opening up to someone might do him a lot of good. But he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. From what he’s seen so far, being raised in the midst of the fire nation probably didn’t do a ton of good for one’s ability to be open about their insecurities.</p><p><br/>
Sokka could hear Toph complimenting Zuko on his makeup outside, and he was almost flattered before he remembered that she couldn’t actually see his handiwork. He left the tent with his bag, noticing how Zuko was studiously avoiding contact with Sokka. He even went out of his way to make sure they didn’t sit next to each other on Appa.</p><p><br/>
Fine. Two could play at that game.</p><p><br/>
At the market, Katara pulled Sokka aside and into an alleyway.</p><p><br/>
“What happened in your tent?” Katara demanded.</p><p><br/>
Sokka attempted to play it cool. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p><br/>
Katara rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Sokka. You two go into your tent, closer than ever, then when you come out you won’t even look at each other. What happened? What did he do?”</p><p><br/>
Sokka scratched the back of his neck. His hair was getting long, and his ponytail made his neck itch uncomfortably. He sighed. Katara could be incredibly stubborn when she wanted to be, so there was no use in fighting this. “Don’t blame Zuko. It was my fault. I asked him how he got his scar, and things got very awkward very fast.”</p><p><br/>
Katara’s brow furrowed. Sokka could practically see her looking for a way to make Zuko the bad guy here. She wasn’t nearly on board with him joining the team as the others were. It was surprising to Sokka. He usually saw her as such a trusting person, but when it came to Zuko she turned cold. She just hadn’t had the chance to know him and trust him the way Sokka had.</p><p><br/>
“Well,” Katara decided, “He shouldn’t be so sensitive about it. He’s so gloomy all the time. It’s ruining the group dynamic.”</p><p><br/>
Sokka scoffed. “He’s too sensitive? That’s something coming from you.”</p><p><br/>
Katara threw up her hands in frustration, and Sokka quickly backpedaled before he could incur her wrath. “What I meant is,” he said, “We don’t know Zuko’s story. We have no idea where he’s been or what’s happened to him. You should cut him some slack.”</p><p><br/>
“Like how he cut us some slack when he attacked our village? Or when he destroyed half of Kyoshi island?”</p><p><br/>
Sokka rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to keep having this same argument any more. The facts are: Aang trusts him. He’s on our side now. We have to start treating him like he’s part of the team.” He sighed tiredly. “I’ll see you later.”</p><p><br/>
---</p><p><br/>
Sokka tried to enjoy himself that night. The group liked to sit around the campfire, talking and laughing and telling stories, taking the time to really get to know the newer members. Zuko had been hesitant to join in at first, but by now the group was pretty used to him talking, usually telling stories about his uncle and some of the adventures the two had when they were on the run from Azula.</p><p><br/>
Tonight though, he was reserved again, just watching the fire and barely responding to Aang’s wild tale about the mischief he and Bumi used to get up to. He excused himself early, claiming to be tired, and went to his tent.</p><p><br/>
Everyone eyed him as he left, catching on to his bad mood. Sokka felt it especially, and he really hoped that no one noticed how he lacked his usual energy.</p><p><br/>
“Sokka?” Suki asked softly, scooting closer to him so she could talk without interrupting Aang, “Is everything alright with you and Zuko? You both seem upset.”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka wanted to scream out of frustration. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?” he hissed, “Everything’s fine.”</p><p><br/>
He said that last part a little too loud, and everyone looked at him. Suki raised her eyebrows.</p><p><br/>
Sokka shook his head, standing and grabbing his bag. “I’m going to bed early too,” he said. “Long day.”</p><p><br/>
“Sokka-” Suki started to protest, but he didn’t stop. He marched over to his tent-right next to Zuko’s-and pushed inside, laying down on his sleeping bag and taking a deep breath.</p><p><br/>
Why did this bother him so much? Zuko was just being moody like usual. The fire prince had always had a short fuse, so it shouldn’t upset him that he was reacting to Sokka’s question like this. Sokka knew that he’d get over it just as quickly as it started.</p><p><br/>
Still, that didn’t stop Sokka’s heart from dropping every time he remembered the way Zuko’s gold eyes had become cold and guarded when the question left his lips; the intensity with which he had shut Sokka down. Sokka thought that they might have a chance of becoming good friends. But he had ruined it. He’d pushed too far, and now Zuko didn’t trust him anymore.</p><p> </p><p>t was that thought that stung the most. Sokka liked to feel useful; to feel like his friends needed him. He needed everyone to trust him so that they would come to him when they needed help, and that extended to Zuko.</p><p><br/>
Besides, he liked Zuko. It was totally reasonable for Sokka to want the guy to trust him. Zuko clearly had some stuff he needed to talk about, and was it so wrong for Sokka to want to be the person Zuko could open up to?</p><p><br/>
Sokka shook his head, tired of thinking about it. He knew that feelings had no logic to them, and he shouldn’t spend so much time trying to make sense of them. Eventually he and Zuko both would shake this whole thing off, and it would feel like nothing happened at all.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chivalry Fell on its Sword</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>True to Sokka’s expectations, things eventually went back to normal.</p><p>The gang moved from the air temple to Zuko’s family’s vacation home on Ember Island. Sokka was worried that the location was a little too close to the fire nation mainland for comfort, but Zuko assured them all that it was the last place his father or sister would think to look for them.</p><p>The place, Sokka had to admit, was really nice. He had been on the fence about letting the prince join their group at first, but this was a pro for sure. Sokka would take a private island mansion over sleeping in a tent any day.</p><p>One morning, Sokka woke up with the sun to train with his sword. He got dressed and walked out into the front courtyard, expecting to be the only one up at this hour. He was surprised to find that he was wrong. When he made it outside, he saw that there was already someone there.</p><p>Sokka stood at the edge of the courtyard, transfixed by Zuko. The prince was shirtless, his skin caught alight in the barely rising sun as he went through forms with his double swords. Sokka was hypnotized by the way the sun flashed on the blades; the way his back muscles rippled with every swing. Sweat beaded his skin. His loose black hair whipped around his face like crow’s feathers when he spun. Sokka had to actively force himself to close his mouth.</p><p>He didn’t know that Zuko could fight without bending. He figured the prince was like all the other benders he knew: completely reliant on his powers to protect him. Sokka felt a whole new level of respect for him knowing that he’d bothered to learn how to actually fight.</p><p>Finally, Zuko stopped and sheathed his swords. He turned, and his eyes went wide when he saw Sokka standing there. “How long have you been there?” he asked, walking over and taking a long sip from a canteen. A drop of water dribbled down his throat. Sokka swallowed hard.</p><p>Sokka shrugged. “I came out here to train, but I see you’ve already beat me to it.”</p><p>“You can join me if you want. There’s plenty of space.”</p><p>Sokka nodded, walking out into the courtyard and starting to stretch. Zuko drank some more water, but Sokka could feel his eyes following him. He finished stretching and got out his sword, giving it a few experimental swings.</p><p>“It’s beautiful,” Zuko’s voice came from just over Sokka’s shoulder. Sokka jumped, resisting the urge to decapitate the fire prince. The guy could be really sneaky sometimes.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“That sword. I’ve never seen metal like that. What’s it made of?”</p><p>Sokka blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew Zuko was only interested in his sword, but he felt such a deep connection to it that he felt like the prince was complimenting a much deeper part of him. “Thanks. I made it out of a meteorite I found.”</p><p>Zuko’s eyes lit up in the way Sokka had only seen them when he talked about his uncle. “Really? You made this?” His hands hovered over the blade, then he seemed to stop himself. “May I?”</p><p>Sokka nodded, handing over the sword. Zuko swung it, then spun it in his hand. “It’s well balanced. And a lot lighter than it looks.” He carefully drew the pad of his thumb along the edge of the blade. “Sharp too.” He held it out for Sokka to take. “I’m impressed.”</p><p>Sokka was sure he was tomato red at this point. He’d been praised for his work before, sure, but it felt different coming from Zuko. More genuine. “Thanks,” he said dumbly, taking it back.</p><p>Zuko nodded to him, then took up his own swords and resumed practicing. Sokka watched him for a moment longer, then cleared his throat to get the prince’s attention. “Hey, do you want to spar? It’s better than practicing on your own.”</p><p>Zuko gave a small smile, tilting his head a little. “Thought you’d never ask.”</p><p>They circled each other in the middle of the yard, each waiting for the other to make a move. The sun had fully freed itself from the horizon, and Zuko’s blades glinted dangerously as he studied Sokka, waiting for an opening. Zuko was the first to strike, coming in from the left with a direct, stabbing blow with one sword. As Sokka blocked that attack, the other sword came in to slice at his side, and Sokka just barely managed to spin out of the way. Zuko was incredibly quick with his blades, a much more dangerous opponent than Sokka had originally thought. He wasn’t used to facing someone with two different blades. Zuko could defend himself and counterattack in the same breath, and it was much harder for Sokka to find openings in his defences.</p><p>Still, Sokka found he had certain advantages over Zuko. Zuko was more impulsive and quicker to react, while Sokka took more time to think and strategize. He quickly noticed that Zuko had a tendency to favor his left side: the side with the scar. He was probably used to people seeing the scar as a source of weakness and targeting that side of him, so he put more effort into defending that side. That meant that his right side was often the one that was left undefended, so Sokka learned to target it instead.</p><p>The two lost track of time as they sparred. They both collected their fair share of bruises, but they were so evenly matched that they got too tired to continue before either of them won for sure. They fell next to each other on the stairs, panting from exhaustion but smiling all the same. It had been a while since Sokka had been able to spar with someone like that, and Zuko challenged him in all the right ways.</p><p>They sat in silence for a while while they caught their breath, taking long drinks of water from their canteens. Finally, Zuko nudged Sokka’s shoulder. Sokka turned to see him holding out his hand, his palm reddened from keeping such a tight grip on the sword for so long. “You put up a good fight,” Zuko said.</p><p>Sokka shook his hand, smiling. “Thanks. You do too. You’ll have to teach me some of those moves some day.”</p><p>Zuko shrugged. “A lot of them won’t work with only one sword, but I could try.”</p><p>Sokka took another swig of water. “So why the double blades? One wasn’t good enough for you?”</p><p>Zuko shrugged. “I just like them better I guess.”</p><p>He glanced away, staring out towards the ocean. Gulls dove into the surf. Wind stirred up the sand dunes, making them ripple. “I guess it’s easier to defend myself. I…” Zuko thought for a moment, maybe pondering how much he actually wanted to tell Sokka. “I can’t see or hear well out of this side.” He gestured vaguely about his scar, his brow pinching. “It’s harder for my opponent to exploit that weakness if I’m dual wielding.”</p><p>Zuko stopped, clearly deciding that that was enough sharing on that particular subject for now. Sokka understood that he didn’t want to talk about his scar. He’d made that abundantly clear last time Sokka had asked.</p><p>“That’s really smart,” Sokka said. “I’m sorry, I never realized that it went that… deep.”</p><p>Zuko had never given any clear indication before that he had trouble seeing or hearing, but maybe it was just because he wasn’t looking out for the signs. He knew he would be more aware of it now. Besides, they were a team now. It was important for them to know each other’s weaknesses so they could protect each other.</p><p>It also made Sokka even more curious. What could have happened to leave Zuko so deeply damaged?</p><p>Zuko shrugged. “I’m pretty used to it by now. It doesn’t really bother me.”</p><p>Sokka nodded, watching waves lap at the shore nearby. They sat together for a long moment before Sokka stood and offered Zuko his hand to help him up.</p><p>“For the record,” Sokka said, “If you ever wanna talk, vent, whatever, you can come to me anytime.”</p><p>Zuko stared up at him, his eyes calculating in the same way they were before he had let Sokka touch his scar. Then he smiled softly, reached up, and took Sokka’s hand. “Thanks,” he said as he stood.</p><p>Sokka grinned, mentally cheering. Zuko was trusting him! If he were an airbender he would shoot up into the atmosphere.</p><p>“Maybe some other time.”</p><p>Sokka’s face fell. Oh well. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress. He’d take what he could get.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Innocence Died Screaming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the last chapter! Honestly I did not expect for this to get as much as a response as it did, so thanks everyone who read this!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko was on edge as soon as Aang found the pictures.</p>
<p>They were tucked away in a box under a table in an unused guest room; stacks of paintings and drawings of the royal family from years and years ago. His mother had commissioned an artist to paint them while they were on their annual vacation. Now that she was gone they’d been put away to gather dust.</p>
<p>Aang was ecstatic to find them, and he immediately called everyone else over to look through them.</p>
<p>Zuko was mortified.</p>
<p>“Wow! Is that really you, Zuko?”</p>
<p>Zuko glanced over at the painting Aang was waving in front of his face. Zuko remembered having to pose for this particular painting for a long time. It was of him, Azula, and both of their parents, sitting together in the main room. His eyes lingered on his mother, and his heart twinged with pain. She’d left years ago, but sometimes it still felt so fresh.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s me.”</p>
<p>Aang stared at the painting, wide-eyed. “You look so different without the scar! Katara, doesn’t he look different without the scar?”</p>
<p>Katara peered over Aang’s shoulder. “He’s also a lot younger in this, though,” she said.</p>
<p>They kept talking like nothing had happened, but Zuko’s head was swimming. Aang’s voice repeated over and over again: <em>You look so different without the scar. You look so different without the scar.</em> Zuko shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Why did it even bother him so much? It was true, after all. But something about the idea of other people only having the mental image of him with his scar made his stomach hurt. It was insane to think that these people knew nothing about him before he’d been banished. The gang’s image of him was deformed; marked permanently by his shame.</p>
<p>He looked around, hoping to find something to distract himself, but he was surrounded by images of younger him at every angle. He excused himself softly and left.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Sokka watched Zuko go. He seemed to be the only one who noticed how uncomfortable the prince looked as Aang was going through all these old pictures.</p>
<p>Sokka could only imagine that growing up with the firelord as a father and Azula as a sister didn’t make for the happiest childhood memories.</p>
<p>He should probably make sure Zuko’s okay. Sokka knew that the fire bender liked to be left alone when he had to deal with his emotions, but still the look on Zuko’s face when he left was burned into the backs on his eyelids. Sokka got up and followed him out the door.</p>
<p>It wasn’t hard to find where Zuko had gone. All he had to do was follow the smell of smoke and the sound of small explosions.</p>
<p>He found Zuko a ways away from the house, shooting blaze after blaze of fire at a boulder. The prince’s eyes were guarded, his movements quick and angry. He looked the same as he did all the times he faced off with Aang, when he’d still been hunting them.</p>
<p>Now that this ferocity wasn’t directed at Sokka or his friends, he saw it with new eyes. There was this sad kind of desperation to the way he attacked the boulder, more like a scared animal lashing out than a true predator.</p>
<p>“What did that rock ever do to you?” Sokka asked.</p>
<p>Zuko stiffened, turning to Sokka. He glared at him for a moment, then visibly forced himself to relax. The flames wreathing his hands were extinguished as Zuko let out a sigh, slumping down on the ground with his back to the boulder. “It’s nothing,” he grumbled.</p>
<p>Sokka knew it wasn’t nothing, but he also knew that pressing for answers never worked with Zuko. He could be as stubborn as any earth bender when he wanted to be.</p>
<p>Still, he might as well let Zuko know that it was an option. “Wanna talk about it?”</p>
<p>Zuko glanced up at him, his eyes scanning Sokka’s face. Finally he shrugged. “Honestly? No, I don’t.”</p>
<p>Sokka smiled, making an effort not to show that he felt a little disappointed. He just wanted Zuko to trust him, but Zuko’s trust was hard earned apparently.</p>
<p>“That’s okay,” Sokka said, “But I don’t want to leave you here to beat up rocks. Wanna spar?”</p>
<p>Zuko gave a small smile at that, standing back up. “You’re on.”</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>After everyone else went to bed that night, Zuko stayed by the fire. Sparring had helped him expend some of his anger, but he still felt too worked up from earlier to sleep, and he figured having some time to sit by himself and think might calm him down.</p>
<p>He tried to think about what Iroh might say to him right now, but he’s never been the philosophical type. Maybe the old man would sit down, make him some tea, and as what’s got him so down.</p>
<p>The tea was inside, and Zuko didn’t want to bother anyone by going in to get it, so he’d pass on that.</p>
<p>As for what’s got him down? He honestly wasn’t sure. There were times when his feelings and motivations were laid out clearly like a map in front of him. And then there were times like now, when his feelings were a maze with no way out, full of twists and turns and dead ends. He didn’t even know what his problem was, so how was he supposed to give himself sage advice?</p>
<p>So maybe Zuko couldn’t replace his uncle in the ‘making him feel better with good advice’ department, but there was still one thing he had not tried yet.</p>
<p>Zuko took a deep breath, looked around to make sure no one was secretly hiding nearby, then began to sing. It was a song that his uncle used to sing a lot when Zuko was a kid, and he heard the old man humming it to himself sometimes while he made tea. He’d always associated the song with comfort, with spending quiet hours next to his uncle. He wasn’t sure exactly what the lyrics meant, but he knew they meant a lot to the man.</p>
<p>“Leaves from the vine</p>
<p>Falling so slow</p>
<p>Like fragile tiny shells</p>
<p>Drifting in the foam</p>
<p>Little soldier boy</p>
<p>Come marching home</p>
<p>Brave soldier boy</p>
<p>Comes marching-”</p>
<p>“What’s that song?” a voice asked quietly, “It’s pretty.”</p>
<p>Zuko jumped, spinning around where he was sitting to find the source of the voice.</p>
<p>Sokka wasn’t directly behind him, but he was just off to his left and he was wearing dark clothing, so he blended in well to Zuko’s blind spot.</p>
<p>It wasn’t like he was totally blind in that eye, but if he covered his fully functional eye all he could see were blurred shapes and light.</p>
<p>Zuko relaxed when he realized it was just Sokka. Honestly, he didn’t have the energy to deal with anyone else, but being around Sokka felt so natural. Even with his sarcasm and his jokes, Sokka was by far the easiest to talk to.</p>
<p>“My uncle used to sing it a lot,” Zuko said. He picked up a stick and poked at the fire with it absently. Sokka moved to sit on Zuko’s right, even though there was an empty spot closer to him on his left. Zuko was silently grateful for that.</p>
<p>“I didn’t know you could sing.”</p>
<p>Zuko shrugged. He didn’t sing, not really at least. He could carry a tune, sure, but he was no professional.</p>
<p>The two watched a log burn to coals, satisfied to enjoy each other’s company in silence for a while. Sokka added another log, and Zuko summoned a small flame to reignite the fire.</p>
<p>Zuko was glad Sokka wasn’t trying to force him to talk about what had happened today. He was the only one in the group who ever seemed to take hints when it came to Zuko.</p>
<p>Maybe that was what made Zuko want to open up to him now. He knew Sokka wouldn’t push him either way, and his uncle always said that sharing his feelings with others would make him feel lighter in the end.</p>
<p>“I really hurt him,” Zuko said softly.</p>
<p>Sokka looked up, staring at him with those piercing blue eyes. “Who? Your uncle?”</p>
<p>Zuko nodded, not meeting his eyes. “I betrayed him. He worked so hard teaching me how to be good, but the moment I was face to face with Azula I just… It was like everything he had worked for just flew out the window.”</p>
<p>Sokka nodded, clearly waiting for him to say more.</p>
<p>Zuko knew he was eager to get him to open up about his past, and before he’d been really against the idea. Now though, it honestly didn’t seem that bad to have someone to confide in. And he knew that he could trust Sokka.</p>
<p>“For so long, Uncle’s been the only person who I felt really cared about me. He would play with me, teach me things about the outside world. When I got a terrible infection from this burn, he stayed at my bedside for more than a week to help me get better. If he hadn’t been there with me, I don’t think I would’ve had the strength to recover at all. But I betrayed him.”</p>
<p>Zuko wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin on his knees and staring into the fire. He didn’t remember much from the time after that fateful agni kai, but he remembered his uncle. Zuko remembered him singing softly as he tried desperately to keep down the fever, or reading books out loud to him when his blurry vision failed him, or holding him up to help him drink. He remembered how despair had nearly consumed him when he received the news of his banishment, and Iroh had been there to pick him back up.</p>
<p>Zuko glanced at Sokka again. The swordsman was still listening silently, but there was a certain eagerness now that the scar had been mentioned. Still, he didn’t press on; didn’t ask the question that Zuko hated hearing.</p>
<p>Zuko sighed, picking up a stick from the fire and holding it, watching a small flame creep its way down towards his fingers.</p>
<p>Finally, he spoke. “It happened about three years ago.”</p>
<p>Sokka looked up, his interest piqued.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zuko pressed on, not sure that he would be able to tell Sokka this if he stopped.</p>
<p>“There was this war meeting that I begged to sit in on. I promised I wouldn’t interrupt but there was this general who had this awful plan to use new recruits as bait, and I spoke out against it. The old general didn’t like that very much, so he challenged me to an agni kai.”</p>
<p>Sokka’s brow furrowed in confusion, and Zuko realized that he must not know what an agni kai is.</p>
<p>“It’s a sort of firebending duel. It only ends when someone gets burned,” he explained.</p>
<p>Sokka sucked in a breath, his eyes flitting to Zuko’s scar. He must be putting the pieces together by now, but he was still missing a vital detail.</p>
<p>The flame had burned a good distance down the stick, and Zuko tapped it gently to knock the white coals off the top.</p>
<p>“I felt confident I could defeat an old geezer like him, but he wasn’t the one who showed up to the duel the next morning. See, when I spoke against the general, we were in my father’s war room, which means it was really him who I had disrespected.”</p>
<p>That was it. There’s no taking it back now. Zuko’s heart raced as he finished the story. “I refused to fight him.” He clenched his fist in the fabric of his pants. “I begged for mercy. I got this instead.” He gestured to his scar.</p>
<p>In his other hand, the flame was mere inches from his fingertips. He regarded it for a moment, then tossed it back into the fire.</p>
<p>“For my cowardice during the duel, I was stripped of my honor and banished from the fire nation. The only way I could return and reclaim my honor was if I had captured the Avatar.”</p>
<p>Zuko didn’t look at Sokka. He was too scared of what he would see.</p>
<p>Zuko had never told this to anyone before. Everyone he knew from the fire nation had been there when he got the scar, and he had never had a reason to tell anyone else about it.</p>
<p>Zuko wasn’t sure what he wanted to get out of telling Sokka. He didn’t want pity or sympathy. He didn’t think the information would help at all in the effort to defeat Ozai.</p>
<p>So if Zuko had no real expectations in this, then why was he so scared of the outcome? Why was his throat dry and his heart pounding out of his chest? Why couldn’t he breathe?</p>
<p>Finally Zuko braved a look at Sokka.</p>
<p>The other boy was staring at him, his head cocked slightly to the side. He opened his mouth to say something, and Zuko braced himself for the worst.</p>
<p>“That’s rough, buddy.”</p>
<p>Zuko was stunned for a long moment, then he coughed out a surprised laugh.</p>
<p>Of all the things he could have imagined Sokka saying, that wasn’t it. Another laugh followed the first, and before Zuko knew it he was hunched over, wiping tears from his eyes as he giggled uncontrollably.</p>
<p>“That’s all you’ve got to say?” Zuko managed to gasp out.</p>
<p>Sokka was grinning at him. “It helped, didn’t it?”</p>
<p>Zuko took some deep breaths, forcing himself to stop laughing. As the laughter calmed down, he realized that it had helped. His heart wasn’t beating nearly as fast, and his breaths came so much easier. That bastard had tricked him out of an impending panic attack.</p>
<p>Zuko realized that this was exactly why he confided in Sokka over anyone else in the group. Anyone else would've looked at him with pity, but Sokka didn’t. He understood that the past was in the past, and no amount of kind apologies would fix what was done to him.</p>
<p>Besides, Zuko couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed like that.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess it did help.”</p>
<p>Sokka smiled triumphantly. He reached over to pat Zuko’s shoulder, and Zuko didn’t push him away.</p>
<p>“Anytime you need a laugh, I’m here,” Sokka promised. “Actually, I don’t think I’ve actually heard you laugh before. It’s nice.”</p>
<p>Zuko hoped that Sokka couldn’t see him blushing in the dim lighting.</p>
<p>“Um... thanks,” Zuko muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.</p>
<p>“No problem.”</p>
<p>They sat together for who knows how long, making lighthearted conversation until the fire finally died down to nothing but faintly glowing coals.</p>
<p>When they finally said goodnight and went to sleep, Zuko felt so much lighter than he had in a long time.</p>
<p>Zuko had never found anyone his age who he truly considered to be his friend, but as he thought more and more about all the time he’s spent with Sokka, he realized that this must be it. He fell onto his bed on his back, sighing and smiling up at the ceiling. There was a warm feeling blooming in his chest. It was unnatural and scary, sure, but so nice.</p>
<p>Zuko could get used to it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I won't lie to y'all, my girlfriend came up with a lot of the plot of this chapter, so I'll giver her credit where its due.</p>
<p>If you have an idea that you'd like to see me write, please leave a comment or something! My head is very empty and I could always use a good prompt.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Leave a kudos or a comment if you liked it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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